Redemption
by Jojo1228
Summary: After Luke is captured by the Empire, he learns that Vader is his father. He sets out on a long and difficult quest to help his father redeem himself. And save Vader from his own dark soul. Rated T for dark themes and violence
1. Chapter 1

Good and Evil

Chapter 1

Luke Skywalker's eyes slowly opened. He could barley remember being shot down over enemy lines. Now, he found himself in an Imperial holding cell. Luke reached for his lightsaber, but found it had been consfiscated. _How am I gonna get out of here? _ Suddenly, the door to his cell opened. The person that stepped inside was the man that haunted his nightmares. It was Darth Vader, the man responsible for the death of his former mentor, Ben Kenobi, and Force knew how many countless others. Luke would sometimes see him in his worst nightmares. Luke asked, "What do you want?"

Vader said, "I am here to talk with you. You may consider this an interrogation."

Remembering Leia's torture aboard the first Death Star, he asked, "Where's the droid?"

"There will be no torture for your sake."

_What's he talking about?_ Luke had never known Vader to be merciful. Why was he any exception?

Vader said, "I hear you are an exceptionally good pilot."

Luke asked, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"When I was your age, I was an exceptional pilot."

"I was one of the best on Tatooine."

"I grew up there."

None of this made sense to Luke. Apparently, he had a lot in common with his nemesis. He asked, "Did you know Owen Lars? He was my uncle."

"He was my stepbrother."

Luke gasped. He and Vader even had familial connections. He asked, "Did you know Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

"He was my first instructor."

"In that case, did you know my father, Anakin Skywalker?"

"That would be me."

Luke fainted when he heard those words.

* * *

"In that case, did you know my father, Anakin Skywalker?" Luke asks. Apparently, Luke and I have more things in common than a familial connection. When he says my old name, I see an iciness seep into his eyes. I figure he should know the truth.

I say, "That would be me," acknowledging for the first time in years that I was once Anakin Skywalker. As soon as I manage to say those words, Luke faints. I'm not sure why the truth would be such a shock to him. I sit down next to my son's prone form and use the Force to look into his memories. I instantly find myself in a small desert dwelling on Tatooine. I see Luke, who's swinging my old lightsaber around, with Obi-Wan. Figures. Luke turns off the lightsaber and asks, "How did my father die?"

Obi-Wan says, "A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down the Jedi. He betrayed and murdered your father."

I am suddenly thrown back into the present. Yep , leave it to Obi-Wan to tell Luke about my fate using metaphors. I look back to Luke's unconcious form. I sense he'll be waking up soon, so I exit the cell. As I'm walking back to the bridge, I get the idea that Luke and I could make a great team someday.

I just have to turn him.

* * *

Luke slowly regained conciousness. There was a part of him that didn't want to wake up to a world in which Vader was his father. However, his eyes refused to listen and they slowly opened. He somehow knew that Vader had been telling the truth when he said he'd once been Anakin Skywalker. He remembered sensing a small pang of regret coming from Vader as he revealed his past name. _There's still good in him. I can feel it. He wouldn't be regretting becoming a Sith if he was pure evil, and I probably would have been tortured into revealing where the Rebel base is if there wasn't any good in him. But why have he and Obi-Wan completely given up on the truth?_

Suddenly, a large explosion rocked the cell. The cell door opened a couple seconds later. Vader tossed him his old lightsaber and said, "We're being attacked. Follow me if you want to live."

Luke followed a short distance behind. He knew that he could probably help Anakin Skywalker redeem himself.

However, it would be a long slow process.

A/N: Phew! Finished! I was going to post another chapter of _Light and Dark,_but there was still way too much to type. So I opted for this story instead.  
Luke and Vader:_**School's out for summer! School's out**_** forever!****  
**Han: The first five times were fun, but now it's getting old.  
Obi-Wan: Like father, like son.  
Me: You said it.  
Luke and Vader: **_School's out_ completely!  
**Me: I think we've got the point now.  
Vader: I like singing that song.  
Luke: And it's graduation day!  
Me: Very technically, I'm on a three month hiatus from school. I won't graduate 'till I'm out of high school. Then it's off to college.  
Leia: I think it's nice to have a bit of extra schooling.  
Luke, Vader, and Han: (groans)  
Obi-Wan: Don't forget to R&R, but don't flame. Don't forget to stay in school either.  
Vader: (bangs head repeatedly on the wall) Poodoo.  
Luke: DAD!  
Me: And my good mood's over. Before anything else happens, this is Jojo1228 signing off.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Luke ran after Vader as more explosions rocked the ship. He thought very briefly of his friends, Han and Leia, but managed to chase them away. He didn't know what his father would think of his friends in the Rebel alliance. His mind suddenly flashed to the crash that had led to his first meeting with his father.

* * *

_5 hours earlier_

Luke sat in the cockpit of his X-wing. He and a few other pilots were chasing a few TIE fighters away from the Rebel base while everyone else was fleeing to an unknown location. Suddenly, out of the blue, a TIE fighter with bent wings appeared. Luke's mind flashed back to the battle of Yavin. Vader had shot down most of the 30 pilots, including his friend, Biggs Darklighter. Only four ships had survived the assault. Back in the present, Vader shot at Luke, hitting both of his starboard engines. Luke knew his ship was going to crash. He did everything he could, but the crash knocked him unconcious. As he blacked out, he didn't know wether he was going to live or die.

* * *

I see the pilot crash in the heavily forested woods. I know he'll be unconcious, but okay. I didn't exactly want to knock him out, but at least I didn't kill him. My mind suddenly turns to my wife, Padmè Amidala. 20 years have passed since her death.

20 years since I became more machine than man.

The mention of that day brings a name to my mind that has haunted me since that terrible day. Obi-Wan Kenobi.

He was the one that left me to die, burning on the slopes of a volcanic river. Ever since, I've hated the very mention of his name. I even thought killing him would bring me satisfaction. However, when that moment had come, I was left very confused, and unsure of what was in store for my future. I now kept his lightsaber as a trophy in the walls of Bast Castle, my private fortress on Vjun. During the battle of Yavin, I did my best to defend the Death Star, however, one pilot managed to evade me. I could sense he was strong in the Force. However, a laser blast from the _Millennium Falcon_ and a panicked pilot sent me spiraling away from the Death Star. I was the only Imperial survivor of that day. When I learned of my son's existence, I suddenly realized that Palpatine had lied to me when he told me I'd killed my own wife. I now know that Padmè survived long enough to give birth to my son. After the last of the Rebels flee, I land on the ground. I see the pilot slumped over in the cockpit. I carefully extract him from the cockpit, before removing his helmet. I'm stunned by what I see. He has the same brownish-blond hair I once had. I carefully open his right eye. I am greeted with the same sky blue eyes as mine when I'm not immersed in the Dark Side of the Force. I tell the others, "Detain this Rebel, and put him in a holding cell. He may be useful in finding the Rebels' new secret base."

As he's carried away, I can't help but wonder why I never knew of him until now.

* * *

_Present time_

I leap into one of the few remaining escape pods, followed by Luke. I say, "We've only got a few minutes left to get out of here. After that, we're going to have to find shelter, somewhere."  
Luke nods. I can feel his uncertainty through the Force. I'm still wondering why Obi-Wan didn't tell him the truth of his parentage. However, I have no time to contemplate the situation. As the escape pod blasts into space, I realize I have no idea what else to do from here.

* * *

Leia Organa was worried. She knew Luke hadn't yet arrived, and even worse, it had been 6 hours since anyone had seen him last. One pilot had said he'd seen Luke shot down. To her, that meant he was either a prisoner, or worse, dead. She knew that if Luke were a prisoner, he'd undergo unspeakable torture. She still carried the scars of her torture on the first Death Star. Then she remembered how Luke had been the one to get her off of the ship, and back to Yavin IV. She knew that she had to save her friend. And she knew who to ask for help.

A/N: (cues dramatic music)  
Luke: I still can't believe Vader's my dad.  
Me: By the way, where is Anakin?  
Leia: Guys, come over here.  
(Everyone walks over to where Leia's standing)  
Me: Oh my GOSH! (Breaks out into laughter)  
Luke: What's so funny? (Sees Vader kissing Han's ear in his sleep) Now that's funny!  
Me: Obi-Wan? (Hands him a video camera) Will you do the honors?  
Obi-Wan: Sure. (Starts filming)  
Vader: (wakes up) AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  
Han: (wakes up) AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  
(both leap to their feet and run to the bathroom)  
Han: (tries desperately to wash off his ear) I can't believe you were kissing my ear!  
Vader: (scrubs his mouth out) Remind me never to have an all-nighter with you again!  
Leia: This will probably win some money on AFV  
Vader: What do you mean by that?! (Sees Obi-Wan with the camera) Obi-Wan you are so dead!  
Me: Woah, woah, woah. You already killed him on the Death Star!  
Vader: (facepalms) I hate logic. -_- (puts mask on)  
Me: Uh, huh. That's right, Vadie.  
Vader: What did you call me?!  
Me: You heard me.  
Vader: Sicko...  
Me: Psycopath...  
Luke: Before they really start calling each other names, this is Luke Skywalker signing off for Jojo1228. (Vader ingnites lightsaber) Hey, don't you dare!


End file.
